


I’ll Always Find You

by AvenGrey73



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, But he's cute, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Forest Spirit Makoto, M/M, Mage Haruka, Makoto is kinda a crybaby for the beginning, Rating will change, Tachibana Makoto Birthday Exchange 2019, kid MakoHaru, too much cuteness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:01:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21613483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvenGrey73/pseuds/AvenGrey73
Summary: Nanase Haruka and Tachibana Makoto are connected by fate somehow. Despite the different worlds they come from, they still manage to find each other and connect.
Relationships: Nanase Haruka & Tachibana Makoto, Nanase Haruka/Tachibana Makoto
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14
Collections: Tachibana Makoto Birthday Exchange 2019





	I’ll Always Find You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Schnooglepuffs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schnooglepuffs/gifts).



> Here's my Makoto birthday exchange gift. There's definitely more I will write for you! Thank you so much for being a great friend and support and I hope you like this piece. Here's a lot of fluff to start. :D

It started as whispers in the village that morning. 

“Last night, did you hear the wailing?”

“The woods must be haunted. I heard it when I was coming home.”

“I think I saw something…Something with horns.”

“Like a… devil?”

“I don’t know. And I hope to never find out.”

Haru looked up at his grandmother as they walked through the market, his hand held securely in hers, her other arm hooked through a basket. His eyes held silent questions as he heard the whispers drifting around them. When it seemed she didn’t notice him, he tugged on her hand gently until her crinkled eyes met his. 

“What are they talking about, Grandma?”

She let out a soft huff and leaned down to him slightly as she smiled. “Nothing to worry about. I’m sure it’s just someone’s drunken imagination,” she explained. Then she returned her focus to shopping, Haru following along quietly, his face fallen into a look of contemplation.

As he heard more rumors flying, one thing stood out to him. The supposed crying devil was in the woods right near his grandmother’s house. 

***

The moon shone softly through the curtains. A gentle, warm breeze rustled the old house, the walls creaking at the touch. Haru faced the ceiling, having just woken up by some noise he couldn’t name. He strained his ears in the silence, trying to figure out what woke him. For a while, all he heard was the sound of his breaths and the wind. Perhaps he was just imagining it. Sleep began to drag on his eyelids again, his body relaxing slowly.

There. 

His eyes flew open as he sat upright. He turned his head slightly to better catch the sound. Yes, there it was. The sobbing he heard.

Taking a deep breath, Haru flung the sheets away from his legs as he scooted out of his bed. A soft hiss escaped him as his bare feet touched the cold wood floor. Quickly, he searched around for a pair of socks and a sweater that he pulled over his pajamas. Then, he went to grab the candle from the nightstand, fumbling in the drawer for the matchbox. Thank goodness for the moonlight, or else he’d take longer to strike the match properly. As he held the small flame to the candle, Haru silently wished he was older and further along in his training. He wouldn’t have to bother with candles and could just summon a flame of his own. 

Once the candle was lit, Haru took it and headed for his bedroom door. He waited at the door for a moment, holding his breath. His grandmother had an uncanny knack for knowing when he was up and about. But it seemed she was exhausted that night since he didn’t hear any noises indicating her door opened. Still, he cautiously pushed the door open. 

In his socked feet, he quickly made it down the stairs, avoiding the particularly squeaky spots, until he got to the door. Pulling on his boots hastily, Haru glanced around. His grandmother’s table for mixing potions and salves was cleared neatly, all ingredients put away in their containers. Would he need something? He thought back to the crying he heard. Biting his lip, he silently hoped his grandmother won’t be angry as he went over to grab a healing salve and shove it in his coat pocket. Then he set about taking the candle from its holder and placing it into the lantern waiting next to the door. 

He was ready now. Or at least, he was as ready as he could be before setting into the night to look for a possible devil in the woods. But with his grandfather gone and his parents living in the next town over, it was up to him to protect the house. Haru took a deep breath. He slipped outside.

The path that led to the forest was relatively easy to see and to follow. Aside from the moon, the path was well kept since Haru and his grandmother often went into the woods for ingredients. He followed the dirt path confidently. Until he took his first step into the shadows under the towering trees. 

The air was cooler in the darkness, the humming of critters muffled by the wind rustling branches. Lifting the lamp higher, Haru peered forward, straining his ears to pinpoint where the crying was coming from. 

Now that he was outside, the wailing was a lot louder and there was a note to it that made Haru frown. It sounded… off. Almost like he’s heard it before or rather, the type of crying. 

Shaking his head, Haru turned his focus to where he was placing his feet as the trail began to fade the deeper he went until it suddenly ended. The forest felt unfamiliar now, and soft wisps of fog was starting to drift along the ground. All the trees looked the same suddenly; even when Haru glanced back the way he came, he didn’t see the break in the trees where the trail was. 

A shiver suddenly ran through him. 

Closing his eyes, Haru remembered the times he had nightmares and his grandmother sat on the edge of his bed. Breathe, she said then. So, he took a deep breath and counted to ten, then let it out. 

He began moving forward again, the crying his only form of direction now. 

Something brushed past his leg. Haru bit back a shout as he leapt forward. As he landed on his feet, he glanced back, only to see it was a fern. A small shaky sigh escaped him, but as he moved forward, his heart still beat a hurried tandem, not ready to relax just yet. His hand shook, the lantern’s light wavering with the movement. 

Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to go alone. Or at least, he should have written a note for his grandmother. 

As Haru walked, it was as if the world was blurry, wavering like something would through steam or a mirage. He squinted to see if it was just his imagination. Before he could question this further, the wailing grew louder. Wincing slightly, Haru hurried his steps further, wanting this mystery over with as soon as possible. 

There was a break in the trees ahead from what Haru could tell. Maybe a clearing since the moon’s light shone weakly amongst the black tree trunks. Just as he came closer, a gust of air rushed around him, and his candle was snuffed out. He was plunged back into almost darkness. A small whimper escaped him unconsciously. More shivers ran through him. Just a step further. 

The crying stopped. 

Blinking, Haru scanned the shadows around him. Did this devil hear him? Did it see him? Was it going to eat him now that it lured him in with its crying? Clenching his hands into fists, Haru walked out into the clearing, raising his head, trying to look braver than he felt. 

The forest shifted as everything came into focus again; but it was as if the trees, the underbrush, the moon all glowed brighter. The air smelled crisper and cleaner, and it felt like Haru’s face was splashed with cool water. He paused only a second to savor the feeling before he heard a small gasp. 

Whipping his head around, his blue eyes finally fell onto a huddled thing hiding behind a rock in the center of the clearing. He couldn’t make it out what it was yet, but there were two small antler horns peaking out. Frowning, both from curiosity and to hide his fear, Haru shuffled forward, leaning to the side to catch a glimpse. Now he could see fluffy brown hair and a curve of a body. Whatever it was, it seemed more scared of him than he was of it. A bubble of impatience rose from his stomach so Haru stepped more boldly to the trembling figure. Then he stopped a couple paces away and cleared his throat.

The figure froze before slowly shifting its head to face Haru. A pair of brilliant green eyes shone in the moonlight as the face of a boy came into view. A boy that was around Haru’s age. Except he had horns…

They stared at each other for a while. Along with the horns, the boy was dressed in clothes he’d never seen before, not even from travelling merchants. And the boy’s clothes were mud-stained and torn in places. It reminded Haru of that poor cat he found a few years ago in the rain; it cried so pitifully and wandered around, looking for its home. Haru took it in to his grandmother, and after they warmed it up, they found the owners the next day searching for it. It just needed a helping hand to go home. Haru carefully studied the tear-stained face of the mysterious boy while the latter began to look more confused than scared. After a while, the boy rubbed his cheeks and eyes, and slowly he shifted to face Haru more. 

Haru hesitated. But another glance at the boy made Haru decide. Reaching out his hand, Haru closed the distance. “Are you okay?” he asked slowly and quietly, not wanting to startle the boy. 

The boy looked at the offered hand, then back up. He didn’t see any ill will in the blue-eyed stranger’s gaze. Taking the stranger’s hand, the boy shifted to his feet, feeling the stranger pull him up at the same time. 

“T-Thanks,” the boy managed to stumble out. His voice shook, though from fear or from all the sobbing earlier, it was hard to tell. 

Haru gave a small shrug in response. “It’s nothing.” A short silence fell as the two tried to avoid looking at each other. Then Haru turned to the boy. “So, why were you crying?”

The boy gave a start before his face flushed and his eyes grew watery. His hands grabbed the bottom of his tunic, twisting the fabric as he clenched his fingers. He muttered something that Haru didn’t quite hear. 

Stepping a bit closer, he tilted his head to the boy. “What was that?”

The boy’s bottom lip trembled as he forced his gaze up, his green eyes glowing in the moonlight. “I-I’m lost. I can’t find my way home…and it’s really, really dark and scary.”

Nodding in understanding, Haru could say he was lost too since the trail disappeared earlier. “So where do you live? You’re not from my village,” he said, his eyes drifting to the boy’s horns before falling back down to his face.

The boy wrung his shirt more furiously; Haru was afraid he might tear his clothes up even more. “W-Well…I—I’m not supposed to talk to you,” he said, his voice verging on tears as he came to the realization of his words. A small gasp escaped him, and he looked around quickly as if he’d be scolded by someone. But they were alone in the middle of the clearing. 

“Why?” Haru blinked at the boy. 

“’Cause you’re a human.”

“Yes, I am. So?” Haru’s brow furrowed slightly. 

“Humans will eat me.”

Haru let out a soft huff in amusement, shaking his head slightly. “I haven’t tried to eat you.”

The boy’s mouth opened to argue before he seemed to realize the logic of the stranger’s words. His brow crinkled in thought before he slowly nodded. “Okay.”

Haru nodded. “Okay.” Then he waited, an expectant look in his eyes.

Wriggling slightly, the boy finally said, “I’m a forest spirit. I live in the fae realm. My home’s somewhere there.”

Haru’s eyes widened in awe; he knew the boy probably wasn’t human, but the fact he was actually facing a forest spirit was something he only heard in fairy tales from his grandmother. “If you’re from there, how did you get here?” 

The forest spirit face lit up briefly. “I was with my dad. I’m going to be a big brother, you see. So we were getting the doctor to help my mom,” he said, looking rather proud and excited. Then his eyes dimmed. “But on our way back, I stepped off the path. There was a really cute family of foxes. I wanted to watch them. T-Then I got lost.” He hiccupped as he fought back a new wave of tears. 

Raising his hands in case he had to soothe the spirit, Haru thought hard on what they should do. Wait until the spirit’s parents found him? They would have found him by now, right? Should they go ask his grandmother for help? Did Haru even know if he could find his way back? He folded his arms as his mind grew occupied.

It seemed the forest spirit had managed to control his tears and breathing and now he was watching the stranger with droopy, tired eyes. It was suddenly very hard for him to stay awake. He swayed on his feet, which startled him, and he took a small step to balance himself. But he overcorrected, and he fell towards the stranger. 

They collided and hit the ground in a tangle of limbs. Haru was reeling for a second, surprised his vision was filled with sky suddenly. Next thing he noticed was a weight on top of him that made it difficult to breathe. He let out a small groan.

“I’m so, so sorry. I’m so clumsy. Are you all right? I’m sorry,” the spirit babbled incessantly as he scrambled off to the side. Haru only offered a grunt in acknowledgement as he began to shift.

Once untangled, the two laid on their backs facing the sky, taking in deep breaths. A few moments of silence filled the air. Then giggles broke out. The spirit tried to hide his laughter by putting a hand to his mouth, but he couldn’t hide the small smile. Haru stared at the forest spirit, a small bubble of amusement tickling him and twitching at the corners of his mouth. The giggling continued, dying on occasion, until the forest spirit seemed a little breathless. 

Turning his head to face the stranger, the forest spirit offered a shy smile. “My name is Tachibana Makoto. Um, what’s yours?”

“Nanase Haruka. But call me Haru.”

Makoto sat up and scooted closer as he offered his hand. Sitting up, Haru stared at the hand before taking it and giving it a shake. “Haru, huh?” Makoto seemed to be tasting the name before he smiled more warmly. “It’s nice to meet you, Haru.”

Haru gave a short nod. “Same.”

Shifting so that he was leaning back on his hands, his legs stretched out in front of him, Makoto looked up at the moon. Absently his feet swayed back and forth, tapping the toe of his shoes together occasionally. “Are you lost too, Haru?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?” Makoto’s eyes filled with concern and worry. “How did you get here anyway? Why are you out at night?”

Giving a small shrug, Haru glanced off to the side. “I heard your crying. People were saying there was a devil.”

Makoto jerked back, looking sheepish. Absently, he rubbed the back of his neck. Was he really that loud? He turned to face Haru again. “Sorry… You got lost because of me.”

Haru gave a short nod, watching Makoto’s reaction carefully. It would be bothersome if he started crying again.

Instead of watery eyes, a determined look entered the forest spirit’s eye. His green eyes held this light to them that enraptured Haru. Suddenly, Makoto took Haru’s hand and was hastily getting to his feet, dragging Haru up with him. After dusting the dirt off his clothes, Makoto looked at Haru with a small smile. “Since it’s my fault, I’m going to help you get home. Maybe I can help you at least.”

He would go through that trouble just for Haru? But maybe they’ll just get more lost. Haru’s eyebrows furrowed as he stared at Makoto, holding his hand tightly with his concern. 

Makoto paused from looking around, glancing over at Haru. He squeezed Haru’s hand back. “We don’t have to go far, right? We just need to find the trail again from where you came from,” he said, trying to sound reassuring. 

Slowly, Haru nodded and let his hand relax slightly. Finding this encouraging, Makoto pointed to a part of the trees. “You came from there, right Haru?” But he didn’t wait for Haru’s response as he started walking over, tugging the boy’s hand after him. Haru’s lamp laid forgotten behind them.

As they approached the line of trees, Haru’s vision grew blurry again, as if the clearing they were in was slowly being smudged over. Confused and worried, Haru slowed down to a stop, his hand slipping from Makoto’s. The blurriness got worse. If the world was like a painting, then as soon as he let go, it was like black splotches of paint began covering the scenery. Haru could see clouds as he let out his breath and the darkness came closer. 

Makoto looked back in confusion. With a gasp, he noticed Haru’s hand left his and hurriedly he grabbed the boy’s hand. 

And like that, it was gone. The world went back to that blurriness, but the darkness was nonexistent. 

“D-Don’t do that, Haru!” Makoto’s voice sounded a little squeaky as it broke from fear and concern. 

Haru stared back, wide-eyed. 

Shaking their joined hands, Makoto gestured to the forest around them. “There are other paths in the forest, that aren’t fae. It would be very, very bad to get separated.” But now Makoto was full of fear. Maybe they shouldn’t have left the clearing. They should have just waited. Biting his lip, Makoto looked to Haru, then at the forest around them. It was all his fault that they were in this situation. He began to feel a heat at the corners of his eyes. 

Haru seemed to have noticed the forest spirit’s distress. He wanted to ask what other paths Makoto meant and if that was how he got lost. But that would be best for later. Right now, he needed to figure something out. First though… Tentatively, Haru lifted his free hand to pat Makoto on the head. His grandmother often rubbed his head when he was down, so maybe that would help Makoto. At one point, his fingers accidentally brushed one of the antlers protruding from Makoto’s hair. 

Green eyes watched Haru before they slowly closed as Makoto began to smile. Haru was a really nice person, wasn’t he? 

A distance sound broke the quiet that fell between the two. 

Haru’s hand dropped as he scanned the trees for the source of the sound. Makoto felt a little disappointed that Haru’s hand was gone, but he was soon drawn to a light he could see coming through the trees. 

Gradually, the sound came closer and became more distinctive. “—to! Makoto! Where are you?” 

Letting out a squeak in surprise, Makoto turned to Haru. “It’s my dad! That’s him! He found me!”

Again, before Haru could respond, Makoto was pulling him along in the direction of the voice. Miraculously, neither of them tripped on any roots.

“Dad! It’s me, Makoto! I’m here.”

“Son?” A figure with a lamp swinging in its hand turned to face them. 

Haru looked up at the tall figure, as Makoto’s father came into view. While he looked clear, the forest was still blurry. Why was that, really?

“Dad! Look, I found a friend. He’s lost too,” Makoto said as they approached, waving his free hand frantically. 

Before Makoto could explain anymore, the spirit’s father was crouched down and giving him a crushing one-armed hugged. Makoto let out a giggle of happiness, tears prickling the corners of his eyes— from happiness this time and lots of relief. 

Standing off to the side, Haru felt awkward witnessing the reunion. But he didn’t ever want to be caught in that darkness again, either. After a few moments, he cleared his throat. 

The two spirits broke apart; Makoto’s father gazing at Haru with surprise. “How—?”

“He found me, Dad. He tried to help me,” Makoto explained. 

Haru nodded in confirmation. 

At first it seemed Makoto’s father was frozen, but eventually he seemed to break out of his confusion as his protective mode turned on. “You must have slipped on a path left from my son,” he muttered in thought. Giving a shrug, he held out his hand to Makoto. “We’ll both take you home, right Makoto?”  


“Of course, Dad!” Makoto happily latched onto his father’s hand, completing the train as they wandered through the forest. 

The night was filled with their footfalls muffled by earth and leaves. As soon as Makoto’s father led them, the world began to look clearer and clearer. Perhaps the paths had to do with it now that Haru had time to observe and think about it without worrying as much. It was not long until the trail reappeared in front of them. Haru opened his mouth to tell them that he could find his way home now. But it seemed Makoto knew as he glanced back at Haru and shook his head with a smile. 

Letting out a small huff, Haru let himself go with the flow, somehow feeling lighter on his feet, as if they were flying above the ground slightly despite the fact that he could still hear his feet hit the ground. 

At long last, the cottage was in sight. The lights were still out; Haru was relieved he wasn’t gone too long. He didn’t look forward to a lecture from his grandmother. 

After a brief exchange with his father, Makoto convinced him to wait as he walked with Haru to the door. Stopping to face each other, Makoto looked into Haru’s glowing blue eyes. They were back under the moonlight, though it was softer, quieter now than it was at the clearing. “Haru? Thank you for finding me,” he whispered, suddenly feeling a little forlorn. 

Haru gave a small nod. “Thank you for bringing me home, Makoto.”

A pause. Then a light blush began to spread over Makoto’s cheeks. “Hey, Haru? Is-Um, is it okay with you if I can visit you again? C-Can we be friends?”

A soft sigh escaped Haru as he gave a nod again. “Do what you want.”

Delighted, taking Haru’s answer as a “yes”, Makoto smiled more brightly than he had that night, his grin so wide his eyes closed. It was like a ray of sunshine that startled Haru. “Okay!” Makoto shook Haru’s hand before he ran off to join his father. After making sure to grasp Haru’s hand, he turned back to wave. “Bye, Haru! Sleep well!”

Finding the warmth of Makoto’s gone so suddenly, Haru went to bury his hand in his coat pocket. Waving back, Haru smiled quietly. “Bye, Makoto.”

And with a blink, they were gone. The wind was silent. The humming of bugs was more subdued. 

Feeling exhausted, Haru headed back inside. Robotically, he went to hang up his lantern, only to notice it wasn’t in his hand. Too tired to worry, Haru shrugged to himself. He slipped off his shoes and shuffled his way up the stairs and flopping onto his bed, still clothed.

It was a strange night. Forest spirits that cried… It was beginning to feel like a dream. But before sleep claimed him, Haru remembered Makoto’s smiling face. Like he could forget a person like Makoto.


End file.
